UMass snaps 20-game FBS home losing streak in 31-30 OT win over Ball State

Derek Morris' missed field goal from 36 yards out on UMass' opening drive could have been a convenient scapegoat if the Minutemen had lost the game, especially since it gave Ball State the opportunity to claim the early lead on the next drive.

Instead, Morris was gifted the opportunity to re-write the narrative, lining up for an extra point in overtime after Pop Watson III's touchdown run tied the game at 30 apiece.

The kick was crucial; Morris' counterpart, placekicker Brody Boehm, had just hooked his point-after attempt wide left, meaning an extra point would seal the deal.

The former Cal transfer took a breath, called for the ball, then kicked it right down the middle of the uprights, celebrating in the arms of his teammates as they walked off the field to celebrate a 31-30 win over the Ball State Cardinals.

Morris' kick not only snapped UMass' four-game losing streak, but also snapped a 20-game losing streak at home against FBS opponents dating back to 2021, while ensuring the Minutemen will finish with their best record since 2011 at a minimum five victories.

The win was UMass' first against a peer program at McGuirk Stadium since a 27-13 victory over blood rival UConn on October 9th, 2021– their only win that season. The win also served as Walt Bell's final win as Minutemen head coach; Bell, now Western Michigan's offensive coordinator, would be fired in November after a loss to FCS Maine.

"We've never been anywhere near this before," UMass head coach Joe Harasymiak said in a post-game interview. "[T]here's going to be some tough, tough losses... there's going to be some time that you want back, but we keep putting ourselves here. We keep knocking on the door just like in life, and you just gotta keep getting back up. I'm really proud of 'em."

Ball State carried the first quarter on the strength of their first scripted drive, as Keldric Luster connected with Jamarion McDougle for a 20-yard touchdown to take the early 7-0 lead.

UMass replied back over a period-spanning drive, with Elijah Faulkner crossing the goal line from a yard out to tie the game at 7-7 with 11:36 to go in the second quarter.

A stellar opportunity to seize control of the game came only two minutes later, when on the first play of a new UMass drive, the typically-reliable T.Y. Harding had the ball punched out by Gabriel Aramboles and Ball State's Mikeah Webster recovered at the UMass 23-yard line.

The Minutemen defense stood tall, forcing a three-and-out thanks to a nine-yard sack by Joshua Iseah on third-and-11.

Two drives later, the Cardinals would finally break through once again, converting two third-and-10+ plays to set up what became a Brody Boehm field goal from 23 yards out, cementing a 13-play, 67-yard drive to push the score to 10-7 with 33 seconds left in the first half.

UMass wasn't content to go into the halftime break quietly, taking advantage of a blown coverage by the Cardinals defense for a 64-yard receiving touchdown scored by Jabari Lewis, giving the Minutemen an important 14-10 lead with 12 seconds left in the first half.

The third quarter presented more pain points for the hosts, as a holding call on second-and-10 tacked on 10 more yards and forced T.Y. Harding into a position to make a play. Harding couldn't hold onto the ball after getting it punched out by Mikeah Webster, and Ben Marsh plucked it off the turf to give BSU their second takeaway of the afternoon.

Cardinal halfback Jalen Bonds cashed the turnover in for a 42-yard touchdown three plays later, putting Ball State back up to 17-14 midway through the third quarter.

After an exchange of punts, UMass QB Pop Watson III took matters into his own hands, connecting on a 46-yard pass to T.Y. Harding and a 41-yard pass to Kezion Dia-Johnson on consecutive plays before calling his own number for a one-yard scoring touchdown to quickly re-claim the lead at 21-17 with 2:30 remaining in the third quarter.

Another explosive pass play by Watson– this one a 47-yard pass to Dia-Johnson with 5:46 remaining in the fourth quarter– put UMass in position to add to their tally. Curtis Kimmon IV would get a 16-yard rush on the very next play, but later in the drive, Watson's fumble on a third-and-two attempt would force a short field goal from Morris instead, extending the lead to 24-17.

Keldric Luster then showed off his passing ability in Ball State's replying drive, going 7-of-7 for 54 yards to set up his own two-yard scamper to tie the game up with 26 seconds remaining.

Ball State got the ball to start, quickly scoring on a one-yard rush by Jalen Bonds set up by a tough 20-yard reception by Tate Hoover to get the offense into goal-to-go territory.

However, Brody Boehm would miss the extra point, opening up the game for UMass to win in walk-off fashion if they could score a touchdown and an extra point.

Pop Watson III would scramble for a 12-yard gain on second-and-10 attempting to evade pressure, then go up the middle on a designed run on the very next play for a 13-yard touchdown, putting Derek Morris in position for a walk-off extra point attempt.

Morris hit it true, giving the Minutemen one of their most important results in 15 years as an FBS program. With three games remaining, UMass can continue to improve on their new-found wins record and potentially qualify for a bowl game for the first time at the FBS level.

UMass QB Pop Watson III, who was dealing with an ankle injury over the last few weeks, was the talisman for the effort, with 342 total yards (302 passing; 40 rushing) and three total touchdowns (one passing, two rushing)– including the game-tying score in OT.

Halfback Curtis Kimmons led the Minutemen in rushing with 19 carries for 85 yards, while Elijah Faulkner (24 yards) had two rushing touchdowns. Kezion Dia-Johnson led the passcatchers with 97 yards on four catches, while T.Y Harding (70 yards) led in receptions (six) and Jabari Lewis (two catches, 78 yards) had the lone receiving score.

Safety Zeraun Daniel led UMass in total tackles (10), while Joshua Iseah had two crucial sacks and 2.5 tackles-for-loss. Linebacker Timmy Hinspeter had six tackles and 2.5 TFLs.

For Ball State, Keldric Luster was limited to 181 yards passing and a touchdown 17-of-27 passing attempts, with 21 net rushing yards and a touchdown. Halfback Jalen Bonds was the hot hand in the backfield, with 17 carries for 132 yards and two touchdowns. Tight end Alex Scherle (three catches, 49 yards) and receiver Donovan Hamilton (three catches, 44 yards) topped the receiving chart, while fellow receiver Jamarion McDougle scored once.

Sterling Smith once again set the pace for the Ball State defense, with nine total stops to extend his team lead for the season. Mikeah Webster was all over the field, second in tackles (seven), while also forcing a fumble, recovering a fumble and nabbing a tackle-for-loss.

UMass, needing two wins in the next three weeks to secure a postseason bid, travels to Toledo for their next game on Wednesday night. They're 5-4 overall, with a 2-3 MAC record.

Ball State (3-6, 2-3 MAC) had a two-game winning streak snapped, and must win out in order to get a bowl game. They host Buffalo on Wednesday night, seeking to play spoiler.